Archive for the ‘Pakistanis’ Category

Two senior Indian investigators told reporters on condition of anonymity that evidence from the interrogation of Azam Amir Kasav, the only gunmen of the 10 not killed by commandos, clearly showed that Pakistani militants had a hand in the [Mumbai] attack.

An Indian army soldier holds position outside The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai on November 29. There was mounting evidence that a Kashmiri-based Pakistani militant group, most likely Lashkar-e-Taiba, was responsible for the deadly attacks in Mumbai, The New York Times reported on its website late Friday.(AFP/Sajjad Hussain)

The clean-shaven, 21-year-old with fluent English was photographed during the attack wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the Versace logo. He has said his team took orders from “their command in Pakistan,” police officials said.

The training was organized by the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, and conducted by a former member of the Pakistani army, a police officer close to the interrogation told Reuters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak.

From Reuters

This image taken from NDTV shows an man carrying an automatic rifle as he enters a train station in Mumbai late November 26. He has the logo of “Versace” on his shirt. Indian police investigating who was behind the massive militant assault on Mumbai interrogated Sunday and Monday the only gunman who survived, saying he was trained in Pakistan. Pakistan insisted it was not involved.(AFP/NDTV/Ho)

On a rainy Friday evening in early August, six Taliban fighters attacked a police post in a village in Buner, a quiet farming valley just outside Pakistan’s lawless tribal region.

The militants tied up eight policemen and lay them on the floor, and according to local accounts, the youngest member of the gang, a 14-year-old, shot the captives on orders from his boss. The fighters stole uniforms and weapons and fled into the mountains.

Soldiers take part in the military operation against Islamist militants in the Bajaur tribal district, Pakistan, September 2008. (AFP/Pool/File/Aamir Qureshi)

By Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah
The New York Times

Almost instantly, the people of Buner, armed with rifles, daggers and pistols, formed a posse, and after five days they cornered and killed their quarry. A video made on a cellphone showed the six militants lying in the dirt, blood oozing from their wounds.

The stand at Buner has entered the lore of Pakistan’s war against the militants as a dramatic example of ordinary citizens’ determination to draw a line against the militants.

But it says as much about the shortcomings of Pakistan’s increasingly overwhelmed police forces and the pell-mell nature of the efforts to stop the militants, who week by week seem to seep deeper into Pakistan from their tribal strongholds.

Since the events in Buner, the inspector general of the police in the North-West Frontier Province, Malik Naveed Khan, has encouraged citizens in other towns and villages in his realm to form posses of their own.

The hope is that determination itself will deter Taliban encroachment, building on the August victory with one phalanx after another of committed citizens.

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Faced with a sharp escalation of suicide bombings in urban areas, the leaders of Pakistan’s new coalition government say they will negotiate with the militants believed to be orchestrating the attacks, and will use military force only as a last resort.That talk has alarmed American officials, who fear it reflects a softening stance toward the militants just as President Pervez Musharraf has given the Bush administration a freer hand to strike at militants using pilotless Predator drones.

Many Pakistanis, however, are convinced that the surge in suicide bombings — 17 in the first 10 weeks of 2008 — is retaliation for three Predator strikes since the beginning of the year. The spike in attacks, combined with the crushing defeat of Mr. Musharraf’s party in February parliamentary elections, has brought demands for change in his American-backed policies.

Speaking in separate interviews, the leaders of Pakistan’s new government coalition — Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Nawaz Sharif, head of the Pakistan Muslim League-N — tried to strike a more independent stance from Washington and repackage the conflict in a more palatable way for Pakistanis.

They said they were determined to set a different course from that of President Musharraf, who has received generous military financial help of more than $10 billion from Washington for his support.

“We are dealing with our own people,” said Mr. Sharif, who was twice prime minister in the 1990s. “We will deal with them very sensibly. And when you have a problem in your own family, you don’t kill your own family. You sit and talk. After all, Britain also got the solution of the problem of Ireland. So what’s the harm in conducting negotiations?”

Mr. Zardari said: “Obviously what they have been doing for the last eight years has not been working. Even a fool knows that.”

I hope you and your team at the Peace and Freedom will be alright. Believe me that you kind cooperation has been bringing some positive impact on the life of tribesmen living near Pak-Afghan border.

I want to bring in your kind notice that Pakistan has deployed army troops in Bajaur Agency as it seems that an operation may be launched against terrorists any time. Some dreaded terrorists have been hiding in Bajaur Agency, therefore, I shall suggest the Peace and Freedom should supervise the operation. There is possibility that the terrorists may take advantage of the choas and may leave the area for a safer place.

Some of the officials have still been providing support to terrorists as they have been getting huge money from them. Giving more time to terrorists will be dangerous.

Situation in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan is also critical as there is race among the politicians for getting the coveted post of prime minister. I want to bring in your kind notice that President Pervez Musharraf has secured himself.

Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain Friday said MNAs elect would take their oaths in accordance with the constitution of 1973 and hoped that the new National Assembly will give exemplary performance by establishing better practices.

Talking to Geo News in an interview, he said oath will be administered to the MNA’s elect on March 17 during the inaugural NA session and it will be prorogued till March 19 after the oath taking.

Chaudhry Amir Hussain said in order to make the NA session an impressive event, prior consultations will be held with the representatives of all the parties.

Nomination papers of speaker would be received on March 18 till 12 noon. Polling for slot of Speaker NA would be held through secret ballot on March 19. Same day the new elected speaker will take over the charge of the custodian of the august House.

He said the election of deputy speaker would be conducted by newly elected speaker. Then the session would be prorogued sine die. The election of the leader of the House or Prime Minister will be held in the NA session called later.

To a question, he said the President can call this session whenever he wants but normally it is not delayed for long and it is called within two to four days.

The MNAs elect for 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997 and 2002 elections took the same oath under1973 Constitution, he said in reply to another question. Only the words “Khuda Aap Ka Haami-o-Nasir Ho” (May Almighty Allah be with you) were added to the statement of oath in 1985, he added.

This time also the members will take oath under the 1973 Constitution, Amir Hussain said.

Dear Sir, the main issue of Pakistan is terrorism, therefore, the US must exert more pressure on President Musharraf to show seriousness in war on terrorism. Some of the officials have been chasing me. Several times they have threatened me, but I am not afraid of them. In the presence of brother like you no one can harm me. At the moment I have been needing your support and prayers.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The chairman of Pakistan‘s ruling party conceded defeat Tuesday after opposition parities scored wins in parliamentary elections that could threaten the rule of President Pervez Musharraf — America’s close ally in the war on terror.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, told AP Television News that “we accept the results with an open heart” and “will sit on opposition benches” in the new parliament.”

Final results were not expected before Tuesday evening, but the election’s outcome appeared to be a stinging public verdict on Musharraf, whose….

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Counting began on Monday after an election in Pakistan which was far less violent than feared, although it could result in a parliament set on driving U.S. ally President Pervez Musharraf from power.

Supporters of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto celebrate after polls closed for Pakistan’s general elections in Peshawar February 18, 2008. Counting began on Monday after an election in Pakistan which was far less violent than feared, although it could result in a parliament set on driving U.S. ally President Pervez Musharraf from power. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed (PAKISTAN)

The former army chief called for reconciliation after casting his vote in the city of Rawalpindi, where opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27.

The vote for a new National Assembly and provincial assemblies was to have been held early last month, but was delayed because of Bhutto’s assassination.

Shah, a candidate in Monday’s national elections, was at a rally here in the Pakistani capital in July when a massive bomb exploded, killing 19 people and injuring 90. The blast took off Shah’s legs. But it did not kill his desire to be part of the political process.

For the past six months, he has gone door-to-door in a wheelchair, delivered fiery speeches at political rallies and even held a baby or two at a mall. “My life is now a protest. I want to be a role model for the people,” he said in an interview this past week. “If I don’t do this, how can I say anything about the future of Pakistan?”

The men were killed in separate attacks late Sunday and early Monday in South Waziristan, a mountainous region close to Afghanistan where al-Qaida and Taliban militants are known to operate, a security official and the military said in a statement.